Lubricator



(No Model.)

W H. CRAIG.

LUBRIGATOR.

No. 398,583. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

N. Prrzns. PivolnLllhogmphcrv Wnshmglun. 0. cv

\VARREN IIILLLXRD CRAIG, (1)11 PATENT OEErcE.

LiUVRENCE, )Ir-XSSAGHI]SETTS.

LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 398,583, dated February 26, 1889.

Application filed June 1, 1885. Serial No. 167,173. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VARREN HILLIARD CRAIG, of Lawrence, in the county of Essex, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have f invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engine Lubricators; and I do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which Figures 1 and 2 are vertical and axial secl tions, in planes at right angles to each other, of V a lubricator provided with my invention, 1 the nature of which is defined in the claims hereinafter presented.

The object of my invention is to provide a means of equalizing the steam-pressure in a lubricator provided with a sight-feed or an observation chamber, in which the drops of oil may be seen in or on their way to the part or parts of the engine to be lubricated in cases where the oil-discharge conduit leading from such lubricator is subject to a variation therein of pressure not incident at the time to the boiler from which steam is conducted into the lubricator.

In the said drawings, A is a steam-engine lubricator; b, the condenser; c, the sightfeed 1 or observation chamber, provided with the glass pane d and the reflecting-partition e, and with the nipple or small pipe f, the said pipe f being to lead oil from the reservoir-into the observationchamber when the latter is charged with water that may have escaped from the condenser down through the educt pipe or conduit g, leading from the observa tion-chamber up into the condenser to near the top thereof, such pipe 9 being to receive live steam from the condenser steam-induct pipe or conduit.

From the condenser at its lower part a passage, 72, (see Fig. 2,) extends and opens into a narrow space between a reflector, 0 and the glass pane in of another sight-feed, I, such space opening into the Oil-lQSGl'VOll. A screwplug, m, arranged shown in Fig. 2, serves to interrupt the How of water from the con denser to the said narrow space.

The oil-reservoir is furnished with means forsnpplying it with oil, such being an induct, a, (see Fig. 1,) provided with a screw-plug, 0. 3

1 oil-discharging conduit connects. I steam passes direct from the induct pipe or Furthermore, there is in rear of the partition e an oil exit or discharge pipe, 2', to lead the oil to the part or parts of the engine to be lubri ca-ted.

The above-described lubricator is essentially like that exhibited in Letters Patent No. 277,464, dated May 15, 1883, and granted to me. I have made additions to it for the object or purpose hereinbefore mentioned that is to say, I have provided the condenser with a pipe or conduit, 1), to lead from it to the boiler in order to conduct. steam from the boiler into the condenser, such pipe having in it a stop-cock, q.

The steam-educt pipe or conduit 57 has its upper end in close juxtaposition with the steam-induct pipe or conduit p, and its other end is connected with the top of steamequalizing chamber near the point where the Thus live conduit p through the educt-conduit g to the top of the observatioirchamber. This produces a compact device. .The pipe 9 is wholly within the lines of the'lubricator, being a part thereof, and requiring no fitting or adjusting when the device is placed on a boiler: This hances materially the value of the lubricator,

When the lubricator is being used, live educt or steam pipe glcads into a steam-space 7 steam passes down the induct p into the con-:

denser b, a portion of it being condensed and passing down the passage Z1 into the oil-cup a, as usual. A modicum of .the live steam from induct ppasses as live steam down the educt 9 into the steamchamber, and with the oil which rises through the sight-teed chamber passes off through the exit 0' into the 0i1- pipe, such outflow being regulated, as desired, by the stop-cock s. I have also provided the oil-exit pipe or conduit 1' with a stopcock, 3, arranged on it as represented.

From the above it will be seen. that in this my improved steam-engine lubricator the steam enters directly into the condenser without first passing upward through the pipe therein. The water of condensation from such steam flows from the condenser down through a conduit to the oil-reservoir, and the live steam passes down the pipe g. The oil-observation chamber being charged with water, the oil in drops passes through such water and over the partition 6 into the oilexit passage, and thence through such to the part or parts of the engine to be lubricated. The stop-cock 3 being slightly open, the oil discharged in consequence thereof is met by the steam passing from the condenser clownward through the pipe 9 therein into and through the exit-pipe, such oil by such steam being carried to the part or parts of the engine to be lubricated.

The object of the stop-cock s in the exitpipe 7 when used with the above-described lubricator A, provided with the steamrpipe leading into the upper part of its condenser, is to throttle or regulate or wholly interrupt the discharge of the oil and steam in case of the steam for supplying the valve-chest of the engine being wholly or partially shut off, such steam being supplied to such valve-chest by a conduit separate from the oil-exit pipe of the lubricator. Therefore with the cock 3 to the oil -lubricator exitpipe, and with the steam let into the upper part of the condenser, and also from the condenser into the exit-pipe, it will be seen that I can maintain a constant or nearly constant or uniform pressure of steam within the lubricator, even when the steam from the boiler to the valvechest of the engine may be but off, such onabling me to maintain a uniform or practically uniform feed of oil through its sightfeed or observation chamber when the steam to the Valve-chest of the engine may be shut off.

The steam-chamber above referred tov posses ses very material advantages. It furnishes at this point a body of hot live steam that communicates sifith the 'sig tgfeed chamber. tlyhotincold s tohaye t oil ina ioodflilid condltion wlthou-t'boiling it." The con ense; water pa'ssing'by this chamber is kept warm, and, as warm water enters the oil-chamber, softens the oil. This steam-chamber also. has a most valuable function as an equalizer, and fo s'in the lubricator an equalizingrehambei, the eXit of which is controlledby the valve 8. By means of this valve the exit is sofcontrolled as to diminish the flow of steam through thesteam-chamher when desireth'so that-the steam-pressure in the lubricator is regulated or equalized, which permits the oil under all circumstances only to be "fed by the action of the pressure of the condense-waten I do not claim a lubricator constructed as represented in the United States Patent No. 2.625%, in which oil passes in the sight-feed or observation tube downward through steam and not through water, as in my lubricator.

\Vhat I claim is.

1. The combination of a lubricator provided with a sight-feed or observation chaming thereto, whereby an equalizing her in which oil rises through water in its passage to the discharging-conduit for leading such oil to the part or parts of the engine to be lubricated, with a conduit to lead steam from the boiler into the condenser of such lubricator, and with another conduit within and to lead steam from such condenser into the said oil-discharging conduit, as set forth.

2. A lubricator combining these elements: a condenser, a reservoir for oil, an observation-chamber in which oil rises through water, an oil-discharging conduit leading from the top of the observation-chamber, a conduit for conveying steam from the boiler into the condenser, and another conduit wholly within the lines of the lubricator and for con: veying live steam from the induct-conduit of the condenser to the top of the observationchamber, as set forth.

3. In a sight-feedlubricator through water in which the oil rises, the combination of the oil-reservoir, the sightfeed chamber, the oil-discharging conduit, the condenser having a pipe communicating with the boiler, and

an" internal tube leading from within the con denser and communicating with the sightfeed chamber and biLdischarging conduit, said latter conduit having in it a stop-cock, through which conduit the oil and steam may be discharged from said lubricator to the parts of the engine to be lubricated, as set forth.

4C. In a sight-feed lubricator through wa ter in which oil rises, the combination of the oil-reservoir, a steam chamber at the top thereof, the oil-discharge conduit, and the condenser having a pipe to lead steam thereto, and also a pipe to lead steam into the said steam-chamber and oil-discharging conduit.

5. In a sight-feed lubricator of the character described, a steam-chamber'lecated near the top of the oil rcservoir and communicating with the sight-feed chamber through whichoil rises through water, and also hav} ing a'pipe to lead steam into such chamber and also communicate'withth e steam condenser of such lubricator, and another pipe to lead steam to the condenser and communicate with the steam-chamber or pipe leadpressure is obtained, as set forth. 6. A steam-chamber located at the top of the oil-reservoirand having a pipe to'lead steam into such chamber and also to connnunicate with the condenser, and a pipeto', lead steam to such condenser, such steam-chamher also communicating with a sight-feed chamber through which oil rises through water, and also having an oil-discharge passage to communicate with a pipe to convey the oil or oil and steam to the part or parts of the engine to be lubricated, all being substantially as set forth.

7. In a sight-feed lubricator in which oil rises through Water and having a steam chamber at the top part of the oil-reservoir of such a lubricator, the combination of the following: the steam-chamber referred to, a condenser, a pipe to lead steam thereto and another pipe to lead steam into the said steam-chamber, a conduit communicating with the sight-feed and steam chambers, a choked oil-discharge conduit communicating with the two last named chambers, the oil reservoir, and feed regulating valve, all beingeombined to operate substantially as set IO forth.

WARREN HILLIARD CRAIG.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, ERNEST B. PRATT. 

